He Will Be Mine

Prologue: A Fateful Encounter

*** Five Years Ago: Alyssa's POV ***

"Dad!" I yell at the man standing in the doorway to my bedroom. "There's no way I'm agreeing to that. I just shifted for the first time last month. You haven't even given me a real chance to find my mate yet!"

He had just announced that he wants to invite a few of his Alpha friends who have sons around my age to my coming-of-age ceremony which is to be held this weekend. He thinks I should start shopping around for a mate now rather than waiting until later when it is time for me to take over as Alpha of this pack and I still haven't found my fated mate. I hate that he has so little faith in the process and thinks it's so much better to pick your mate than to wait for the right person to come along for you. It's not fair, either. He and my mother are fated mates. If he can have that, why can't I?

"I'm not saying you have to agree to anything now, Aly," my dad returns in a soft, patronizing tone. "I'm just saying it's time to start thinking about it and planning for the future. None of us know what is going to happen. You don't want to be the girl left standing at the ceremonial altar who gets passed over for the position you were born for simply because you don't have a mate and your cousin does."

"Is that what this is about? You think the Elders will think Riley has a better claim because he has a mate?"

"I'm saying you never know, and it doesn't hurt to prepare for anything. Tradition says that you become Alpha after me, but tradition also insists that you do so before your 25th birthday and are mated before the time of the ceremony. It wouldn't be the first time that a rightful Alpha gets passed over for lack of a mate."

"But you and Uncle Max are brothers. Riley is just my cousin, and you don't have any other children. That's not the tradition at all."

"No, but there are many who say that since Max was meant to be Alpha in the first place, it doesn't matter."

I groan and grind my fists into my eyes, as if the effort I put into it can help clear this nightmare from in front of me.

"Ugh, fine. I suppose meeting people won't be so bad, but there will be absolutely no talk of arranged mates or anything even remotely close. Got it?"

He chuckles and steps into the room, coming to stand next to where I am messing around with my makeup at the new vanity table I got last month for my 16th birthday.

"Got it," he agrees as he leans over to kiss the top of my head. "I'm just looking out for you. You know that, right?"

"I know that, but if you really want to look out for me, then you'll put more effort into helping me get out and find my real mate. I don't want anybody else, and I don't care if that means giving up my chance to be Alpha."

"I'm betting you'll change your mind about that when the time comes, but we can talk more about this later."

He turns to leave as though everything that needed to be said has been said.

"I'm betting I won't," I stubbornly insist under my breath after he turns his back.

"What's that you said? You can't wait to help your mother in her herb garden, and I should let her know you'll be right down to do that? You got it, baby girl."

I groan again, knowing that he's serious and will actually tell Mom I said that. He hates sassy backtalk and knows I also hate gardening. Maybe it's not such a terrible idea, though. I would like to get her perspective on his plan, or rather manipulate her into agreeing with me and talking to Dad on my behalf. The best way to put her in a good mood is with a little labor of love.